Explosive mixture.



BOY LINDEN HILL AND ARCHIBATLD J.

ASSIGNORS '10 ATLAS POWDER COMIANY, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPOEATIDN OF DELAWARE.

STRANE, OF TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA,

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE.

Lggg ggg Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

T0 aZZ whom. it may concern Be it known that we, ROY LINDEN HILL and ARcrnnALn JACKSON STRANE, citizens of the United States of America, residing. at Tamaqua, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Mixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain explosive mixtures and it has for its object to prevent such explosive mixtures from becoming hard or set, with the resultant deleterious effects.

Explosives consisting essentially of an organic nitrate or a mixture of organic nitrates, such as glycerin trinitrate, starch nitrate, glycol nitrates, and ammonium nitrate, but with other materials such as sodium or potassium nitrates and combustible absorbents frequently added, have. in recent years, come into extended use. These explosives, as compared with straight nitroglycerin dynamites. while possessing the advantage of lower cost and greater safety in handling, possess the very great disadvantage that they frequently become very hard in storage even though they may not be frozen. There are several degrees of this condition, from increased firmness to the hardness of frozen dynamite. This condition may lead to difficulties in inserting explodcrs and in charging into bore holes and to possibilities of failure to detonate, incomplete detonation, or burning in the bore hole. All of these conditions lead to decreased safety and the latter three to the probability of inefficient work and poisonous fumes.

We have found that we can prevent such. explosives from becoming hard or set by introducing into their composition certain amounts of copper sulfate from which the water of crystallization has been partially or completely removed. The amount of copper sulfate employed preferably ranges from five-tenths to ten per cent. The copper sulfate may lie-added to any ingredient of the explosives individually or to any mixture of ingredients which go to make up the finished explosives. lVe prefer to add it after all of the other ingredients of the explosives have been partially mixed.

Application filed November 1, 1918. Serial No. 260,697.

The following composition is illustrative of an embodiment of the invention though it 1s apparent that the copper sulfate may be ,..advantageously employedfor the purpose of,

preventing hardening of the mixture, in many other similar compositions.

Nitro glycerin (glycerin trinitrate) 21 per cent; Ammonium nitrate 26 per cent. Sodiumnitrate 35 per cent. Wood meai- 1 per cent. Copper sulfate. 3 per cent. Chalk 1 per cent.

sives which are made up, in part or compietely, of ammonium nitrate and an organic nitrate, to prevent the explosives from becoming hard or set, unless frozen.

2. The addition of copper sulfate from which the water of crystallization has been wholly or partially removed to an explosive mixture containing ammonium nitrate and an organic nitrate.

3. The addition of five-tenths per cent. to ten per cent. copper sulfate from which the water of crystallization has been wholly or partially removed to explosives containing ammonium nitrate and an organic nitrate.

4. The addition of five-tenths per cent. to ten per cent. copper sulfate. from which the water of crystallization has been partially or completely removed, to explosives which are made up, in part or completely, of ammonium nitrate and an organic nitrate in order to prevent the explosives from becoming hard or set, unless frozen.

In testimony whereof we atiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ROY LINDENHILL. ARCHIBALD J. STRANE.

Witnesses: W

' WM. H. W ooowsnn,

HARRY J. KRAMER. 

